magic in our veins
by WritingTrash
Summary: The prince hesitated in the shadows. The cold bit at his fingers. Izuku paused halfway there, glancing back at him with those green, green eyes. Electric, that’s what he was. Shouto took a breath before he finally followed him. The street behind him didn’t even care.
1. catch me before i fall

**I'm back from my exam hiatus! I think I passed everything. Maybe. I have to wait until July for AP scores, and that'll be a sad day for all of us, rip.**

**Anyway, I thought I'd try my hand at a fantasy AU. ****Here's a song shoutout that helped me write some of this story: Wonderland by Chvrches, it's great and I've been listening to it on repeat for two days already.**

**So, I have a somewhat general idea of where this is going, but not everything is written out yet, so updates will probably be fairly inconsistent, as I'm also planning a few vacations over the summer too. I'm going to try to update once a week, but who knows. I'm also trying out longer chapters, so these should be more like 2000 words instead of the 1000 I was writing before. I hope you enjoy it!**

Shouto froze in the middle of the street. Children ran past him without a care and the people around him were dressed in long cloaks and thick coats. They didn't even send him a glance, too busy in their own simple, happy lives. It was refreshing to not have everyone's eyes glued to him.

Winter was creeping around them. It wasn't quite cold enough to snow yet, but frost still grew up walls and around the edges of windows and everyone breathed out clouds. He usually liked the cold weather, welcomed it even. This year, however, it was just an ever looming reminder of his nearing birthday.

It was definitely cold enough that nothing that green should be alive, though, much less flourishing. Maybe that's why he had stopped to stare.

It was just a small flower shop, with foggy windows, weathered wood, and crumbling bricks. There was a sign with fading, golden letters hanging off the side that creaked in the winter wind. Pots and planters overflowing with flowers of every color sat outside, in the windows, or were hung from the awning. Bright green leaves fluttered in the breeze and vines grew up the walls and stretched toward the grey sky.

It was simple, ordinary and utterly unimportant in every single way. Shouto wasn't sure why he was still standing here, staring at it. His fingers were pale and pink.

He was busy still looking at the little building when two children, a girl and a boy, ran inside, hands joined and laughter ringing. The doorbell chimed happily down the street. Shouto tugged his hood further over his face and watched.

There were too many things growing in the window for him to see what was going on inside, but the green dumbfounded him. The little store didn't seem exciting or important, but something about it just glowed. He wondered why he had never noticed it before. Surely he must have wandered down this road before.

Shouto stumbled suddenly as a solid weight ran into him. "Stop standing in the middle of the damn street." A man growled. The white-and-red haired man scowled under his hood, turning to watch as he stormed past him. He glared at the man's back, but followed his advice and stepped backwards into the shadows of a store across from the florist's.

He looked back, surprised to see the children outside again, alongside a man. Shouto pressed his back against the wall, suddenly breathless. The man was carrying a large flower pot, defined muscles obvious through his shirt. His skin was tanned and freckled, his hair curly and messy and a pretty green, the same shade as the dark vines climbing up the bricks behind him. He wore a sunny smile, talking to the two kids at his feet.

Shouto felt like he was invading, watching these happy people and their happy conversation. It didn't seem like something he should be allowed to see. He didn't fit into that. Maybe that was why he was standing in the shadows all the way over here. He pulled on his hood again, wrapping his cloak around himself tighter.

The man set down the flower pot, like it didn't weigh as much as those kids combined, adjusting a few of the leaves and now the children's heights. He kneeled beside them, smiling and talking just as energetically as they were. Then the man held out his hand and it began to glow gently. The children watched in amazement as a flower bloomed from his palm and Shouto stiffened.

Magic.

He didn't know why he hadn't noticed it before. He should have, with all his staring. The pale runes, perfectly drawn on his tan skin made Shouto's own scars burn. The man passed the flower to the girl and Shouto forced himself to turn away and walked back into the crowd.

He didn't look back.

————————

"You went out again." Shouto didn't look up at his sister's voice. He had already heard the click of his bedroom door. He continued to fold his cloak silently, tucking into the box and sliding it far underneath his bed. He kicked off his boots, throwing them underneath too.

Fuyumi sighed, peeking over the side of his bed at him. Her glasses flashed. "You went out again." She repeated.

"I know."

"Father was looking for you, if he catches yo-"

"You know he wasn't looking for me." Shouto retorted. "He probably just wanted to experiment again." He subconsciously rubbed his arm at the idea.

Fuyumi frowned, picking at the silky fabric of her pale gown. "I know you like going out, but if he catches you, I-" She hesitated. "Even Touya wouldn't be able to protect you."

"I don't need protection." He answered, standing up and dusting off his clothes. "He can't control my entire life."

"Shou-"

"If I have to stay in this place any more than I already have to, I'll go insane." The white-and-red haired man murmured, sitting on the other side of his bed. Fuyumi paused, but she looked like she had more to say.

He glanced out the large window on the other side of his room, ignoring her. A glittering, cold city stared back at him. The sky was growing pink and hazy. Dinner would be soon.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Shouto, I know you're plenty capable, but you know the rules. I'm just worried." His sister said. Her cold fingers brushed against his sleeve and he pulled away.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Please don't go out anymore."

"Fuy-"

"Shouto." She answered firmly. Her eyes were dark and he could imagine what she was thinking. Maybe something about their mother, or Touya's scars that even the maids didn't try to hide anymore. "Please don't go anymore." She whispered.

"I-" For some reason that man and his flower shop popped in his head. Shouto shook his head. "I can't promise that, Fuyumi. Sorry."

She sighed like she didn't expect anything else.

**————————**

His siblings were already seated when he arrived. He claimed his seat beside Fuyumi without a word. Touya winked at him and Natsuo waved from across the table. Fuyumi didn't look up from her lap, she was probably still upset about earlier. She should know by now, she did ask him the same thing every time. Shouto spotted a few servants lingering in the other doorways, watching them wearily.

"Heya, Shouto." Natsuo smiled.

"Hello." Shouto answered quietly. A waiter dressed in red rushed forward to push in his chair and fold his napkin his lap, but Shouto waved him away. "I'm fine, thank you."

Touya scoffed, propping his elbows up on the table. "You'd think they'd know by now we don't care. Dad's the only one who has a stick up his ass about his napkin."

"Touya!" Fuyumi hissed, eyes wide and darting toward the large doors, engraved in gold and bronze.

The redhead smirked and shrugged, ignoring her. "When I'm king, I'll have one person on the kitchen staff, the chef."

"If you become king." Natsuo added beside him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're assuming he'll actually die so you can take it. I just assumed we're all such disappointments that Father'll outlive us all so none of us can take the throne. Or maybe he'll give it to Shouto, just to fuck with you." Natsuo shrugged, running a finger along a burn in the table.

"Natsuo!" Fuyumi whined, glancing between her brothers and the doors. They both snickered at her worry. Shouto knew all the joking was a mask too. Anything to avoid their reality.

"Well, I don't want the thron-" Shouto began as the doors opened. He snapped his mouth shut, staring at the table instead of his father.

They all straightened up in their chairs, arms hidden under the table. The white-and-red haired man felt the sudden heat flash as his father passed behind his chair. Smoke filled his nostrils. The air felt thick.

His father sat at the head of the table, his beard smoldering. His siblings were silent. Fuyumi was staring at her hands again.

The servants brought out their steaming food silently and they waited, like always. Their father didn't say anything at first, fire stifled to a flicker so he could eat. Shouto picked at his own food without looking up.

Touya and Fuyumi sat closest to him, as assigned. Shouto didn't know how they could withstand the heat. It felt suffocating all the way from here. Natsuo sniffled.

"Shouto." He forced himself to not flinch at his name, looking up slowly at his father. His siblings were all staring at him and Fuyumi gave him a nervous look that was less than reassuring.

He swallowed. "Yes?"

"Have you decided a date yet?"

A date.

The date.

His gala.

He stifled his sigh of relief and Fuyumi relaxed barely beside him. "No, Father, I haven't."

The king glanced back as his plate disinterestedly. "Your birthday is only two months away. When will you have one?"

"I don't know."

He scoffed and his flames flared. "A prince should be able to pick a damn day without this much trouble. If you can't decide, then I can just pick a date for you."

"I will have one. Soon."

"End of the month."

"Yes, Father."

The room was silent except for the clinking of silverware. Shouto became invested in his plate again, although his food was tasteless and dinner felt like it always did. Suffocating.

The party was just a show. Tradition his father couldn't get around.

Shouto might make a choice that night, but it sure as hell wouldn't be his.

His father didn't speak for the reminder of the night, so neither did the rest of them.

**————————**

"Your Highness." The maid breathed in dismissal, bowing barely. She kept her face down as she slipped past him. She was trembling, fearful in her posture.

It made the prince's heart ache. He wished they lived in a place where they didn't have to be terrified all the time. He wished he did, too. He thought of a perfect world full of flowers and sunny smiles for some reason.

Once she was gone, he walked into the bathroom. The water in the tub was steaming. After a moment, Shouto managed to force himself to stick his right hand in the water, cooling it carefully. His runes glowed a pale blue. The hot water was rough on his skin and the steam in his face made it hard to breathe. He was panting, a moment later, when he pulled his hand out and wiped it off on his shirt.

Even after all these years, he couldn't stand hot water touching him. His baths were always lukewarm or cold.

Some flowery scent hung in the air as he undressed, an attempt to hide the smoky smell by the maid, he knew. They must hate it as much as he did. It didn't work, however. This castle could be scrubbed from top to bottom and it would still smell like smoke and ash.

Going out was the only time Shouto could ever breathe.

He tossed his clothes to the floor haphazardly. Some servant would collect it later.

Shouto slipped into the water finally, almost cold on his skin. He welcomed it. Heat was too suffocating. This castle was always too hot.

It was too silent, the drip of the faucet deafening in the large bathroom. Perfect pale tiles and counters and ceramics. Shouto hated it.

He untangled his hair from its braid, now windswept and knotted. It fell around him in a mess of scarlet and ivory. His father wanted him to cut it, but Shouto liked it, so he never did. His father wouldn't start a fight over something as small as how long his hair was. It was a quiet rebellion.

Shouto detangled it quietly, sliding lower in the water. It rippled and his heartbeat echoed in his ears. The soap stuck to the scars up his arms, crudely carved symbols and letters. They were shades of pink and red against his pale skin and nothing like the runes on the man from the florist's.

Something about that man refused to leave the prince alone. He had barely left his thoughts since Shouto had left him and the children. He remembered the way his hand has glowed, the way the flower had twisted and bloomed in his fingers.

He kept replaying it in his head, alongside his bright smile.

**As always, if you liked it, please comment below, or follow for update notifications.**

**If you'd like to scream at me some, I'm revamping my writing blog on tumblr, that's @writing--trash. Or you can go to my main, where I post about bnha and my ocs, @cultured--trash.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. wondering eyes, just left behind

**I'm so sorry this took so long!! I've been procrastinating, but I got sick so I ended up doing some writing after that. Hope you enjoy anyway!**

Shouto stared at the florist's.

Now, he realized, that was also an apothecary, according to the fading gold cursive on the ever creaky sign. He stood in the shadows again, ignoring and ignored by the people passing by and the random customers who came and went.

He didn't know why he kept coming back. Fuyumi was right. Their father would catch him eventually. His body ached at the thought.

The prince sighed, crossing his arms under his cloak. The frost bit at him, as it grew ever colder. He glanced down at the cobblestone road, just to get the green out of his vision for a second.

Instead, he noticed a dark flower at his feet, growing from dark vines that curling over the stones. He stared, dumbfounded, at the little plant. Nothing like that should be alive this late in the year. Maybe it had blown over from the flower store.

He looked up at the apothecary again and noticed a pair of green eyes in the window. The freckled face turned pink, the same shade as the roses in the window, and the man looked away.

Shouto pulled his hood further over his head and knelt down. He picked up the flower, a dark blue and somehow the same shade as his cloak. Something about it hummed in his head.

Magic.

He glanced back at the store through the passing people's legs, a muted rainbow of winter wear. The prince held the bloom carefully in his hand, twisting the stem and observing it carefully.

It was probably just a coincidence. He surely hadn't been looking at him.

"I thought you might be too shy to come inside."

Shouto jerked backwards, stumbling against the wall behind him and staring at the red shoes in front of him. He calmed his roaring heartbeat for a second, slowly daringly to look up. He was met with the man with the green hair. His heart started pounding in chest again and his breath became cloudier.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me walk up." He said shyly. He held out his hand, calloused and scarred. Shouto stared at the runes on his skin.

The prince took it, finally, dumbly, still holding the flower protectively in his cloak. The green-haired man was taller than him by a small amount and much broader.

"Did you want to come in?" He asked. Shouto stared at his chest instead of his eyes. A moment later, the man added. "I've noticed you standing out here the last few days." More like two weeks.

He didn't know why he kept coming back.

"Okay." He said before he realized it. He didn't know why he said that.

The taller man beamed at him, bright enough that Shouto suddenly felt hot under his dark cloak. His face felt warm and he forced his hands to remain at his sides. The flower was tucked into his pocket. He started to walk back across the street and the prince hesitated in the shadows.

The man paused halfway there, glancing back with those green, green eyes. Shouto took one last breath before he followed him. The street behind him didn't even care.

The prince wasn't sure what he was expecting inside. It was just as green, plants grew everywhere, making homes in pots and cracks in the walls. It was warmer inside, somehow. Perhaps more magic. He stole another glance at his runes, etched delicately up his muscular arms and further underneath his rolled up sleeves. Shouto wondered where they ended.

There were shelves lining the wall behind a counter, decorated with little glass bottles. Each one was filled with leaves or powders. There were dried plants hanging from hooks and labels in scribbled handwriting. The smell of herbs and spices and flowers floated in the air. On the counter, there were little brown pots of plants and glass jars full of crystals or glowing bugs.

It was messy, cluttered in a way Shouto had never really seen before. Somehow, it seemed better than the castle in every way.

"Was there something specific you were looking for?" The man asked, walking behind the counter. Shouto lingered in the middle of the store. The wooden floor creaked pitifully when either of them moved.

Shouto didn't have an answer. He didn't want to say no, he wasn't looking for anything. He had simply been stunned, distracted, by the plants and the flowers and the man, and that's why he had been watching the shop for so long. So instead he said. "You have runes."

The man raised his dark green eyebrows, then glanced at his hands. "I do. Most people just think they're just tattoos." Then he shrugged, a fond smile on his face. "Except the kids. They always seem to figure it out." He looked up at Shouto. "Do you have them too?" Something in his eyes sparkled at the idea.

"No." Shouto lied, rubbing his wrists. "You know they're outlawed here, right?"

"Magic is outlawed?" He asked incredulously.

Shouto nodded. "M- The king. He doesn't allow the creation of runes." Except for the kings own family it seemed. He ignored the phantom pains and squinted at one of the shelves, reading the labels curiously.

"Oh." The man hummed. Then he shrugged. "Well I was born with mine. They were passed down from my father." He explained.

Shouto looked back at him in shock. He was born with runes? That sounded unbelievable, but that would explain how they were so perfect. People born with runes were rare. Even the creation of them was dangerous nowadays, few people risked it anymore. The only people he knew who had true runes were royalty, like his father or his siblings. Or himself.

The idea that someone like this, a backstreet florist nobody, had true runes. It was strange. Shouto forced his surprise down and the man spoke again. "You won't turn me in, right? To the king or whoever doesn't like magic."

He should, probably, but if he did, he'd have to explain how he met him in the first place. "No." The prince said finally and the man smiled at him.

"Good. I don't know very much about this kingdom, yet. Everyone is very quiet here, especially when I ask about the royal family." He sighed. Shouto glanced back at the shelves behind him. An overflowing pot of leaves sat on the edge of one.

"Where are you from, if not here?" It was rare anyone moved to Endeavor, of all places. There were plenty of nicer kingdoms around, like Uravity or Ingenium.

Anywhere was better than here.

"I've been lots of places. Wherever the rent is cheap and the people are welcoming, I guess. They're quiet here, but they seem to tolerate me." He shrugged, clearly avoiding the question. Shouto pretended to not notice.

"You do magic for them?"

"No. Not really. I sell medicines and plants and simple things, but I can't just go around and fix everything for them." Something told Shouto that the man wished he could do just that. He probably kept to himself to keep out of the king's eye. No one would care about a little apothecary like this.

Shouto gave him a short hum, looking up at the rows of plants by the windows with mild interest. "You've asked a lot about me, what about you?" The man questioned.

"What about me?" The prince echoed, amused.

There was something about this easy conversation that was nice. Nothing like the stiff words with his father, or the worried whispers of his sister.

"Well, why have you been standing across the street for the last few weeks, if you clearly didn't want to buy anything?" So he did notice every time then. Maybe he was more observant than Shouto had assumed.

Shouto shrugged, turning back toward the counter and the man. He wasn't lying at least. He didn't know why he came back each time, but now he was thinking it had less to do with the shop itself, and more about what was hiding inside.

The man was leaning on the counter, a small smile on his face. It felt like the one tugging at Shouto's lips. "At least tell your name then."

Shouto blinked at him, suddenly reminded of his hood hiding his face and the fact that he didn't know this man's name either, even though they had been talking for quite a bit by now. "My name?" He echoed.

He laughed softly at Shouto. A sunny, short, wonderful sound. His ears craved it.

"If you want to. I'll tell you mine, even though you didn't ask."

His name.

Shouto debated on saying no, or maybe lying. But the man already claimed he wasn't from here, said he didn't know the royal family.

So like a fool, he gave it to him.

"Shouto."

He smiled wider. "Hi, Shouto. My name is Izuku."

The prince's heart skipped again and he looked down at the creaky floor to avoid the other man. His face felt hot, especially when he felt those glittery, golden green eyes on him.

"Will you show me your face now?" Shouto jumped, turning to see the man- Izuku, standing closer to him now. He was big and broad, but he held himself shyly, like he was asking permission to be here. To stand next to him.

Maybe he was.

Shouto's hand went up to his hood and he hesitated. "I don't think you want to see it."

"Why?" Izuku looked puzzled. Shouto felt like one.

"My face is-" He paused, thinking of angry, stormy eyes and hushed gasps. "scary."

Ugly.

An atrocity.

An abomination.

Izuku raised his eyebrows, then his face softened. "I highly doubt that."

"You don't know."

"I don't. And I never will, unless you show me." Izuku shrugged. "It's not like I'm going to throw you out, Shouto." His name in that gentle tone sounded so foreign.

He could be lying. Maybe he didn't know the royal family's names, but he would recognize him anyway. Maybe he would just throw him out anyway. He had been lied to before. Besides, he didn't know Izuku.

He didn't know him, but something about him made him trust him. Something about him seemed real, happy.

Shouto stared firmly at the floor as he reached up, grabbing the edges of his hood and pulling it down. He heard a soft gasp and frowned. He didn't dare to look up at the other man, imagining everything he was looking at.

The mismatched eyes.

The tangle of his unnaturally colored hair, twisted into some bun.

The scar, dripping down his left cheek and the side of his neck. It went even further, thankfully hidden by his clothes.

"Why would I think you're scary?" Izuku asked eventually, sounding confused. Shouto glanced up at him, surprised, but the green-haired man only looked puzzled.

"I-" The prince hesitated, blinking up at him.

Never had he had someone ask him, of all people. Usually they would ask his brothers or his sister what happened or maybe they wouldn't say anything to anyone at all, but just stare. Whisper to their friends behind his back.

But Izuku wasn't staring at him like that. He was simply looking at him, like he was something normal. Something worth looking at.

"I don't why anyone would say you're scary. You're not." Izuku continued when he couldn't. "I think you're beautiful." Shouto felt his heart stop and his skin heat. The other man's eyes widen as realized what he said.

The flowers hanging from the ceiling bloomed above Izuku's head as he stuttered his way through an explanation. His freckles were fading into his blush. Izuku waved his hands around quickly.

Shouto barely heard him.

He thought he was pretty. The idea of someone, anyone, finding him even remotely attractive was unheard of. It was crazy. Shouto was pretty sure he was summoning frost, something cold was creeping up his skin.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang out in the store and both men jolted. Shouto grabbed his hood and threw it over his head before he looked at the newcomer. It was a young woman, dark hair tied up in a ponytail. She raised her eyebrows at them.

Izuku hugged his red face. "Hi, Lady Yaoyorozu." He mumbled.

"Sorry, am I interrupting? I can come back later." She asked with an amused smile.

Shouto shook his head. "It's fine, I was just leaving."

"W-Wait-" He ignored Izuku, moving past the woman and out the door. He stared at the grey stones, the strangers' conversations loud in his ears. His face still felt hot and his flower felt heavy in his pocket.

Shouto was halfway down the street when he heard a crackling behind him, and a hand tugged on his cloak. He whirled around, coming face to face with Izuku. He swore he saw lightning glowing around the man, but it faded in the blink of an eye, making him unsure. Maybe those runes did more than just grow flowers.

"Why'd you run off?" He asked, seeming almost hurt. Shouto pressed his lips into a line. His cheeks were still a faint pink and Shouto was acutely aware of the people around them.

The prince shrugged, glaring at the cobblestone street.

"I meant it, you know."

"What?"

Izuku blushed harder. "When I called you beautiful. You are."

Shouto stiffened.

"Come back, to the shop." Izuku asked gently.

He wanted to say no. He should have said no.

"Another day."

Izuku looked a little discouraged, but smiled at him anyway. He held out his hand, runes glowing a soft green. Shouto's eyes widened as a flower bloomed with scarlet and ivory petals. Shouto hesitantly took it. His icy fingers brushed against Izuku's.

His touch was electric.


	3. i’ve been missing this

**I have no excuse for my absence, it's been so long but I had some rough writer's block and was super busy with school and etc. I have every intention to pick up my writing and I'm definitely going to finish this story! Thanks to everyone for being patient and here we go again!  
**

**This story has heavy when the day met the night vibes if anyone remembers that awful thing I wrote back in my early days. But the good thing is that no one reading this probably knows that so I can reuse my favorite tropes :)**

"Two weeks from today, all of the noble families and their eligible daughters will meet for lunch with you and your father, in preparation for the birthday gala-"

"Do I have to do anything for that?" The prince asked, interrupting the advisor. She flinched and he frowned.

"W-Well, I suppose, um, you'll have to be there, Your Highness. Other than that, I, uh- I don't think so." The woman said, hugging her papers to her chest.

Shouto nodded, glancing at the floor, then his eyes slid to the spot where his cloak was hidden underneath his bed. "Is there anything else?" He crossed his arms over his chest, returning his attention back to her.

"No. Just a reminder that dinner tonight will be pushed later, His Majesty is in a meeting until seven-thirty." Shouto could stand that change to his schedule.

"Right. Thank you." She nodded and bowed deeply. The adviser moved to leave his bedroom, before she paused at the edge of his bed. When he looked up, she was looking at the vase on his nightstand. "Is there something else?"

The woman jumped, looking at him with startled, wide eyes. "Oh, no, Your Highness, forgive me. I was just admiring the flowers here. Where did you find them?"

Shouto glanced over at the vase. Inside were the two flowers Izuku had given him. They were only just starting to wilt, even though they had been sitting in the vase for quite a while now. He wondered if it was part of the magic keeping them alive.

"The gardens." He finally answered, distantly. The advisor looked nervous, but nodded.

"They're lovely."

"Thank you." He murmured after she left.

The prince steadied himself eventually, tearing his vision from the flowers and sitting beside his bed. He changed his shoes and pulled the cloak out, bundling it in his arms.

He stepped out on his balcony, sharp rails and a silent city beyond it. Shouto took a deep breath, his hair tossed in his face by the cool breeze. He tucked a red piece behind his ear.

After another moment, he gripped the railing, the metallic chill burning into his hands. The prince glanced over the edge. He saw the edge of a patrol; their dark, solid armor was stiff in the cold. Shouto glanced in the other direction and no one was there.

He used his little time wisely, not hesitating before he shifted his cloak to his left arm and climbed onto the railing. He used the wall to steady himself, and pressed his right hand to the wall. The runes glowed underneath his long sleeves and ice grew down the wall until it reached the ground. He climbed down, fingertips pink as he gripped the ice. Shouto landed with a grunt on the frosty grass. It cracked beneath his boots.

The good thing about winter was that he never had to melt his ice, as it blended in with the wall and the cold. The frosty air curled around him, welcoming him back into the world.

Shouto ducked behind the bushes as another patrol stepped forward. He unfolded his cloak, throwing it over his shoulders and tying it around his neck. He pulled up his hood as they walked past him. As soon as they turned the corner, he abandoned his cover.

The prince had already vanished into the crowd before the next patrol turned the corner.

The prince ignored his nerves as he walked down the street. He hadn't been back to the flower shop again since that other time. He had been ignoring his promise.

He wondered if the green-haired man had already forgotten about him, or simply didn't want to see him again anyway. He paused right outside the dark wood door, his fingernails digging into his palms. Finally, the prince swallowed his sigh and stepped forward.

The bell announced his arrival cheerily and the door closed behind him softly. "Be right with you!" Izuku's voice called from somewhere. It was warm and just as green as it had been the last time he visited. The frostbite creeping up his right hand dampened.

Shouto sighed softly, alone for the time being. He glanced back out the window, seeing no bystanders. The prince hesitated longer than he liked to admit, finally grabbing the edge of his hood and tugging it off.

"I didn't know if you were going to come back."

Shouto jumped, whirling around toward the sound of the other man. Izuku was watching him, clearly surprised, but Shouto couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. His eyes summoned static under Shouto's skin.

The prince blushed and looked away.

"I was busy." Shouto lied. He had had plenty of opportunities to escape the castle, but each time he had hesitated.

Scared. He was always scared.

A beat of silence passed between them. The prince played with the edge of his cloak, glancing at floor. He heard the drifting conversations of people outside the shop, lost in their own lives. He felt himself sinking.

Finally, he spoke, "Is this a bad time?"

At the same time, Izuku said, "Do you want to go somewhere with me?"

Shouto blinked in surprise as Izuku's face turned pink. "Where?" He asked.

Izuku smiled a little awkwardly, shrugging. "I've got a few errands to run around town. It's nothing special, but if you wanted to come with me..."

"Sure." He answered against his better judgment.

Izuku instantly brightened and something inside him warmed. "Great! I'll be back in a minute, wait here!" He nearly tripped as he rushed into the back of the store, disappearing behind a corner.

The prince smiled softly at his retreating back. His hands unclenched the fabric of cloak, he glanced back to the plant covered store.

Magic hummed between the leaves, drifting through the air. It was a pleasant feeling, slipping through his fingers. Shouto wasn't sure if people without ruins could feel it the same way he could. It washed over him like a gentle tide, reminding him of a pale, faintly familiar woman and glowing hands.

He stepped closer to a overflowing pot, touching one of the vines with his hand. The prince summoned a small strand of frost. It curled up the leaf slowly, spindling. A piece of red hair fell in his eyes as he tilted his head, feeling his own magic twist in the air among Izuku's.

He wondered if the other man would notice.

There were creaking footfalls and Shouto pulled his hand away, turning to face Izuku as he returned. He was dressed in a heavier coat, emerald like his eyes, and surprisingly bright red snow boots. He wore a smile, strolling up to Shouto.

"Ready?" Shouto nodded. "Great, come on!" Izuku grabbed his hand and led him out of the apothecary. He paused at the door and locked it behind them, unaware of how Shouto practically glowed with his touch.

"My mother ran an apothecary in our hometown. She didn't have magic or anything, but she loved gardening, so I learned all of that from her. The runes help, but a lot of it is her advice." Izuku explained, sighing a cloudy breath.

Shouto stuck to his side, frost biting at the hand not intertwined with Izuku's. It was only so they didn't get separated, he knew. He was still glad the chill hid his burning face.

"So it's a family business?" He asked.

Izuku shrugged. "I guess. She closed it years ago, but I remember always sitting in there with her when I was little. I don't run one because of her though. Well, I guess that's not true, it's not all because of her."

The taller man paused, peeking in the fogged window of a store and waving at someone before he continued along the street with Shouto. The prince curiously glanced in the window, but he didn't recognize anyone.

"I like to help people. I've found that it's the best way for me to do that here." He answered finally, glancing at Shouto with a small smile.

"Is plant magic all you can do?"

"No."

"What else?" Shouto pestered.

It was rare someone could use different areas of magic, unless they had added runes over the years. The prince tugged the left sleeve on his shirt down further.

Izuku shrugged again. "It's a variety. I'm still learning, every day."

"Hm." Shouto had never heard of someone still learning how to use their own runes. Izuku was a walking mystery it seemed. He peeked at the other man and was caught. He gave the prince a little smile and Shouto immediately looked at the ground instead.

"Ah, this way." Izuku said suddenly, squeezing Shouto's hand and pulling him down a less travelled road. "There's a bakery, run by my friend, and I wanted to pick up some stuff."

Shouto looked up at the buildings, eyes flickering across windows and awnings. "Do you know here well?"

"Here? No. I've just met a few good tour guides." Izuku laughed.

"You do seem like you make friends easily." Shouto muttered to himself, but Izuku heard him anyway and laughed more.

"I like to help people." He said again, shrugging.

"Not an answer."

"You didn't ask a question."

Shouto rolled his eyes and Izuku chuckled. "I think you're too closed up." He retorted, tugging on Shouto's hood.

"I already told you why I like the hood." The prince answered.

"And I already said it was unnecessary." Izuku reminded. He paused in front of a small building. The walls were made of dark maroon bricks, crumbling after years of weather. In the glass windows there were baskets and tables of various baked goods. A cake sat on a pedestal directly in front of Shouto, catching his eye the most. "This is it."

Izuku led the way inside. As they stood in line, Shouto was overwhelmed by the sweet smells floating in the air. He heard the chatter of the women behind the counter and the other customers, but he was distracted by the picture perfect food in every direction. He was tugged along by Izuku, the taller man quiet as they waited.

"Izuku!" Someone cheered, jolting Shouto from where he was staring at a tray of pastries. He looked back at the front counter where they were suddenly the first and only people in line. The women, Izuku's friend he assumed, was just as bright as he was. It made sense why they were friends.

She was leaning over the counter, grinning in their direction. Her hair was chopped short and a warm brown, her eyes hazel colored. She was shorter, dressed in a long sleeve dress and a desert stained apron. "What're you doing here?" She asked, giving Shouto a short glance but otherwise ignoring him.

"I wanted more cinnamon bread." Izuku admitted, almost sheepishly. "It was really good I already ate the entire loaf. Oh, and I brought this for Tsuyu!" He dug in his messenger bag, pulling out a small vial of a green mush. He set it on the counter and peeked over the edge.

"I heard my name." A new woman croaked. Her voice was strange, Shouto noticed quickly. It didn't sound human at the very least.

Shouto glanced up as the newcomer walked through the door behind the counter. She had long dark hair, thick and pinned back. Her eyes were large and had a yellowish tint, while her dark pupils were rectangular. Her skin was a strange shade somewhere between brown and green, spotted with large, dark patterns.

She came up beside the brunette and gave Izuku a thin smile. Shouto couldn't help but stare. Definitely not human.

"Who's your friend, 'Zuku?" She asked, pressing a finger to her chin as her head turned and she met his stare. Shouto felt his blush deepen, glad for the hood hiding it.

"Oh, right, this is Shouto. Shouto, that's Ochako and Tsuyu. They own the bakery." He explained pointing at each of them in turn.

Ochako raised her eyebrows in suspicion and Shouto prayed she didn't recognize his name, or at least wouldn't say anything aloud. Tsuyu didn't give away any emotion, but nodded and hummed a greeting.

She picked up the vial Izuku brought her large hands. "Is this for me?"

"Yeah, I tried messing with the formula a bit. It might help your transformations be a little easier, and make your human half a little more..." Izuku trailed off, nervous.

"Discrete?" Tsuyu hummed, an amused smile on her face. "Thank you. How much?"

The florist waved his hands, brushing the question aside. "Nothing, it's my treat."

"You won't let us pay you for anything ever!" Ochako whined, propping up her head on the counter and looking back at Tsuyu. "He's too nice."

"At least let us help you in some way-" Tsuyu began.

Izuku cut her off. "I don't need or want anything in return! If I can help you in any way, that's the only payment I need."

Shouto watched them exchange a few more times before Ochako disappeared into the back and returned with brown bag filled with baked goods, shoving it into Izuku's arms and refused payment in the same way he did.

"Tell me if it helps any Tsu, I'll make sure to make your next batch like that, too!" The shorter woman nodded, smiling as they filed out of the bakery.

Ochako wished them goodbye as well, her earlier suspicion seemed to have faded. Shouto was confused what he had done to change her mind, but he didn't mention it as they embarked out into the cold once more.

"They seemed nice." The prince said finally, a good street out of earshot.

"They are." Izuku grinned. "Ochako was my first customer when I moved in. She wanted flowers for the displays, and now she orders new ones once a week."

Shouto nodded, watching two boys run past them while he debated what to say next. Izuku beat him to the punch. "You want to ask about Tsuyu."

"You don't have to tell me."

"I trust you. If you wouldn't tell about my ruins, then you wouldn't tell about her." Izuku answered. "Here, come on, there's a park just down this street."

In silence, the taller man led him. Shouto was still reeling from his first sentence. He trusted him? What had Shouto ever done to deserve this sunny man's trust?

The prince sighed a frosty breath, following Izuku to a secluded bench. A bare tree stood behind it, stiff branches stretching into the sky. Izuku set aside his bag and sat next to Shouto.

"She's a shifter. Frog to be specific. She and Ochako are both from Uravity, but they moved here when the purges began." Shouto raised his eyebrows, then realized Izuku couldn't see his face still.

"What purges?" Shouto asked, although he could assume the details.

Izuku made a sour face. "Of non-humans. Shifters, halflings, anyone who wasn't one hundred percent human." The man paused, glanced down at his hands. "Even people with runes were killed sometimes. Though Tsuyu is half and half, she didn't count because, as you saw, she still has frog characteristics in human form. She would've been killed if they stayed."

"And Ochako?"

"Oh, she's human, she would have been fine."

"Then why did she leave?"

Izuku glanced at him before he answered. "She and Tsuyu are together. She loved her enough to leave, I suppose. I know Ochako's family still lives in Uravity, run a bakery there too, they still talk sometimes, but for the most part they left everything behind."

"I see." Shouto murmured.

A group of children ran past them, toward the bustling streets. They screamed at each other, throwing something back and forth. Shouto watched them distantly, allowing himself to fall silent.

The prince wouldn't say he loved very many people. He cared about his sister and brothers, but love was a strong word. They all had such isolated childhoods. He didn't know the details of their lives, what they liked and didn't. When he really thought about it, he didn't know if that was really love or not.

Once upon a time he must have loved his mother, when she was still around. He still cared about her, but love didn't do much for her now. It hadn't stopped her death.

To love someone enough to leave his entire life behind...

Shouto wondered if he would ever love anyone to do that. He glanced at Izuku.

"What?" Izuku hummed, noticing him.

"Nothing..." He said, deflecting. "It's just strange that so many people come here. I thought everyone hated Endeavor." Shouto finally said. He knew he certainly hated it.

The florist reached over and tugged down Shouto's hood.

A gust of cold air hit his face and he gave him an indecent squeak. "Why did you do that?!" The prince hissed, reaching for his hood and glancing around nervously for watchful eyes.

"No one else is here." Izuku shrugged. "You don't need it."

Shouto found no eyes, the children had ran off and they were left alone. He could vaguely hear the sound of strangers' conversations, but that wasn't anywhere near them. Defeated, he dropped his hands and gave Izuku an irritated frown.

It didn't faze the other man, he smiled and kept talking. "As for Endeavor, I knew it was...strict. The king is kind of an asshole from what I hear." Shouto snorted. "But it was better than what I-" Izuku hesitated. "It was better than where I was coming from."

"Where is that, exactly?" Shouto pressed.

Izuku gave him another smile. "You wouldn't know it."

"I am quite familiar with surrounding areas, actually." The prince answered with a small, smug smile. Teasing. This was teasing, light-hearted and simple, without the severity and anger he was used to. Shouto was surprised he even knew how to do it.

Izuku shook his head. "It doesn't matter." When Shouto looked unconvinced still, he added. "Really, Shou. It doesn't matter anymore." There was almost a melancholy tone to his voice that made the prince pause. Along with that dreadful nickname that actually made him smile.

"If you say so then." He shrugged finally, defeated. "Did you have any other errands to run?"

"Yeah, a few. Ready to keep going?"

"Always." Shouto slipped his hood back on, not missing Izuku's little frown. The florist tugged him to his feet and they continued on the snow covered, cobblestone path.

For the good portion of the afternoon, Izuku led him though crowds of people and small stores. There was a market place where they paused at nearly every stand and barely bought a thing, to the sellers' dismay. Izuku pointed out each thing Shouto didn't recognize, leaning against his side and answering each question.

There were so many aspects of his own kingdom he didn't even know. While the prince tried his best to spend time with common people he knew his father didn't care about, following Izuku made him realize how much he still missed. All these people had their own lives, pasts that came from miles away, or just down the street. It made him feel small.

Izuku waved at friends and strangers, pausing a few times to say a quick word. The prince lingered loyally at his side throughout the day.

Watching him, Shouto felt like he was the traveler and Izuku was the prince. He seemed like knew this kingdom like the back of his hand. He knew each shop owner, the boy delivering papers and the other one delivering milk from the nearest farm. No one would have guessed Izuku hadn't lived here his entire life.

Although, Shouto easily saw that was just how he was. He liked to make friends, talk to everyone simply because he wanted to know more about them. He truly wanted to help everyone. It was refreshing.

Eventually, they walked the path back to the apothecary. "Thanks for coming with me, I know you probably could have spent your day doing a lot of other, more exciting things than just my weekly errands." Izuku gave him a warm smile that went straight to Shouto's heart.

"I wouldn't have picked anything else." He found himself saying. The truth, he realized. Izuku gave him a little huff of laughter like he didn't believe him.

They stopping in front of the plant covered window. The sign creaked above their heads with the winter breeze. "Do you live far from here? I can walk you home if you let me put my stuff do-"

"No, thanks. It's not far, I'll be fine." Shouto answered quickly. He didn't have a good plan if Izuku insisted anyway.

The florist raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

The prince nodded. "Yes."

"Right, well then..."

"I'll see you again, soon?" Shouto asked. He glanced up at the other man.

"I'd like that." Izuku smiled, pink dusting his freckles.

Shouto swallowed and nodded slowly in agreement, inspecting the gold specks in his bright eyes. He urged to reach up and touch him somehow, but his hand remained clinched at his side. Izuku seemed torn about something similar.

The streetlight suddenly switched on, casting an artificial, golden glow on them. The two men jumped, Shouto stumbled back a few steps. "Right, well, goodbye then." He said quickly. He glanced at the street, frustrated with himself. He turned to leave when a hand gently grabbed and squeezed his.

Shouto stifled the frost on his skin. "See you soon." Izuku grinned, his pink a blooming red now.

The prince nodded, tugging his hand out of his and finally leaving. He released a cloudy breath as he walked. Shouto realized he was smiling.

He fought to keep it from his face until he fell into bed that night.

**I'm thinking about writing a villain au and a christmas one-shot, along with continuing my current series, but I'm gonna try and make this story my main priority! I have high hopes, so please if you enjoyed follow, favorite, and comment! Hopefully the next update won't be six months from now. Thanks for reading!**


	4. thoughtmydaysweredoneyoushowedthesuntome

**Oh Wonder released a new album and it's all about love, let's go!! For real tho its a great album if you wanna check it out, Dust, Drunk on You, and In and Out of Love (where this chapter's title comes from) are my favorites and have major Tododeku vibes. **

**Anyway it's been a good while since I've updated but I almost cried over math earlier so it's been a good time ,) enjoy.**

Shouto was familiar with the fact that time passed slowly.

He was used to long hours trapped in burning walls and smoky halls. He was used to the seconds passing like minutes, curled up on the floor as he struggled to keep his last meal in his stomach, keep the tears from his eyes and the pain from burning through him until all that was left was ash. He was used to days stretching into years.

With Izuku, the hours felt like seconds. Each word was dripping in laughter, warmth. Each touch was soft and gentle. Each second slipped through his pale fingers before Shouto knew it even happened.

The prince spent all the time he could with the florist. He ignored Fuyumi's disappointed eyes and breakfast and dinner, trading them for Izuku's smile. Shouto never felt cold with him, despite the dreary weather.

Sometimes the two of them ran errands, slipping down side streets and strangers, each other in hand. Shouto said it was so he didn't get lost, but he knew himself better than that.

Sometimes Izuku didn't have any errands to run, but instead just wandered the world with Shouto by his side. He introduced him to his friends, making it seem like he had known these people for a lifetime.

Sometimes they simply stayed in the flower covered shop, Izuku leaning on the counter and Shouto sitting on it. The florist always watched him with affectionate eyes and a small smile, hanging on each word the prince said. Those times were his favorites, when they sat and spoke about everything and nothing.

The prince wondered which instance would be today's. He weaved between bundled up people, nearing the apothecary with a smile already on his face. It was pathetic how just the sign brought one to his face. He stopped on the chipped brick steps, pausing in front of the door.

Rather than peeking through the glass and seeing Izuku busy at work, he saw nothing. The lights were dark and there was a closed sign hanging on the hook, staring back at Shouto. The prince tried the doorknob, but found it locked, of course.

He wasn't sure he had ever come across a time when the apothecary had been closed. Unsure what else to do, Shouto knocked on the glass. He stood there another second, before he felt something cold drop on his head. He jumped, glaring at the lump of ice that slid down his shoulder and fell to the ground.

A familiar laugh blessed him and the prince found himself looking up at Izuku from a window a story above. There were cream colored curtains that floated in the breeze and a planter that the dark-haired man leaned over. Izuku easily blended in with the greenery overflowing from the window box, his eyes as bright as the leaves framing his freckles.

"What are you doing?" Shouto called. He was acutely aware of the surrounding street, plenty of eavesdroppers. He forced himself to not steal a look around.

"Today's my day off."

"Do you want me to come back a different day then?"

"No!" Izuku said quickly. His face heated with his enthusiasm and he waved. "I'll be down in a second, just wait there." Shouto nodded and the window creaked shut.

A few more minutes in the cold passed before Izuku appeared in the door's window. He fumbled with the lock for a second and Shouto raised his eyebrows, giving him a small, endearing smile. Finally, the florist pulled open the door and welcomed him inside. Shouto shook off the last bits of snow and pulled down his hood. Izuku locked the door behind him.

"Hello."

"Uh, hi. I wasn't expecting you today."

"I can always come back a different time, if you're busy." Shouto reminded. Although, he wanted nothing more than to spend all the free time he had with Izuku, he didn't want to impose.

"No, no, really, it's okay. Come on, I was just about to eat lunch. Have you eaten yet?" Izuku hummed. He led him behind the counter and the back of the store. There were shelves of supplies, but Izuku continued toward the set of well-worn wooden stairs Shouto hadn't ever used.

"No." Shouto answered." "You know, I didn't know you even took days off."

He knew Izuku lived in the space above the flower shop, but he had never been invited up there before. Usually they spent most of their time in the store itself. The prince couldn't help but feel privileged as he followed Izuku up into his home, the stairs announcing each step.

"Sometimes. It's slow this time of the month anyway, I thought I'd just stay in today." Izuku shrugged. He pushed open the door at the top and led him inside.

It wasn't much. For someone who had grown up in a castle, Shouto was used to always far more than he needed. His bedroom was probably larger than this entire building combined.

The living room consisted of a mismatched couch and table. The table was covered with messy papers and books. There were a few shelves and planters, but the green upstairs seemed pale in comparison of the store below. There was the window Izuku had peeked his head out of on the other side of the room, cracked open so the breeze could play with the curtains.

There was a crackling fireplace that radiated warmth when Shouto passed it. He spotted another doorway that he assumed led to a bedroom and bathroom. Shouto unclasped his cloak, unwrapping it from around his shoulders as he observed his new surroundings.

"Do you like dashi?" Izuku asked, walking past him toward the steaming pot on the the iron stove. "It's almost done if you want a bowl."

Shouto had never had it, but he nodded anyway. "Sure." The florist hummed an indefinite answer.

There was something intimate about being here. It was unlike any place Shouto had ever been, full of warm and trust and happiness, instilling the same feelings he felt when he had first stepped inside the apothecary. He rubbed his hands, fingers pink despite the glowing fire. He sat far from it, unsettled by the flickering flames.

Izuku reappeared, offering him a steaming, wooden bowl. Shouto took it gratefully while he sat beside him. He peered inside at the thick soup quietly before the florist spoke.

"You look tired." Izuku said gently. There was no malice behind it, but Shouto still scolded himself anyway. People weren't allowed to see those types of weaknesses, a stern voice hissed in his ear. Shouto vaguely smelled smoke as he shrugged.

"I've been busy at home."

"Like what?" He hummed. Soft, curious but not pushy. Giving Shouto an opportunity to share if he wanted to. The prince sipped his soup, debating his answer and Izuku waited patiently.

"My father is hosting a party. It's stupid, but I have to go." He finally said, just vague enough.

"Hm. Dinner party?"

"Lunch. I've had to deal with a lot of the planning because he's always too busy." Shouto answered, tone tightening toward the end. His father was not always busy, but Shouto preferred it when he was. At least when he was busy he left him and his siblings alone.

"Are you rich?" Izuku asked randomly. Shouto looked up in surprise. The darker-haired man smiled shyly behind the steam of his soup.

He wasn't wrong, but there was more to it than just that. He guessed far too close to the truth for the prince's liking. Shouto tried to remember all the things that he said, wondering what had given him away. "How did you know?"

"You seem like you come from money, but you don't like it. You've got manners and a stiffness to your demeanor that kind of gives it away. You're confident at first, but you overthink yourself too much." He explained, pausing slowly. He glanced away, debating on continuing. "I think you're trying to be different, though, from whatever your family is like, you're an anomaly, really."

Izuku was blushing when he finished, pointedly looking away from Shouto's gaze. Finally, the prince answered. "Am I that obvious?"

He laughed aloud and Shouto smiled weakly. "I'm just observant, you're very sneaky actually."

"Ah, good. I don't want everyone to know."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Izuku pressed a finger to his lips. "It's our secret."

"Thank you."

A beat of silence passed before Izuku spontaneous set his bowl aside. "Can I show you something?"

"Sure." The florist grinned, stealing Shouto's bowl, pushing it beside his, then he stole his hands. The prince blinked in surprise, but Izuku didn't notice, tugging up to his feet and leading him into another room.

The floorboards creaked beneath his boots, a companion to the crackling fire they left behind. The doorknob was old and brass and the new room was Izuku's bedroom. There were a few messy shelves, clothes and a dresser across from the bed. Izuku let the prince go, kneeling on the rug and peeling up the edge. Shouto stood timidly by the door, watching his crooked fingers press against the floorboards until he grabbed the edge of one and pulled it up as well.

From the hole in the floor, he pulled out several old books. Shouto thought he saw something else in the dark cavity, but Izuku returned the board and rug to their homes before Shouto could look any closer. He picked one of the thick, dusty books and offered it to Shouto, then patted a spot on the floor beside where he sat.

"Are those yours?"

"Sort of. They were given to me and I've...filled in some of their holes."

Shouto sat next to him, setting the book in his lap and opening it. A puff of dust welcomed him and he sneezed. Izuku laughed, fanning the dust from the air. "Sorry. I haven't looked at them in a while."

The prince gave him a fake glare that earned a bigger smile before he started turning the pages. There were two types of writing, the original text, as old and faded as the book itself. The second looked newer, however. It was handwriting, scribbled in a rushed manner so that many of the lines trailed off sideways or off the end of the page.

"This is magic, isn't?"

"The definition and use of runes, specifically." Izuku clarified.

He leaned closer to the words, fascinated. These sort of things were never allowed in the castle. The best way to keep people submissive was by lack of education. Along with the laws, no one knew about magic unless his father allowed it.

"This is your writing?" He asked curiously, peeking up at the florist through his multicolored bangs. Izuku suddenly leaned forward, tucking an especially long scarlet piece behind his ear.

Shouto's eyes widened and the other man looked nervous, as if he was confused why he had done that. He tangled together his crooked fingers. "I've, uh, always been interested in runes. There's so many types and applications, I used to research them endlessly when I was younger! My mom used to get so fed up with all my questions." He laughed nervously.

Shouto wanted to keep reading, but he stopped himself, turning a chunk of pages and pressing a pale hand to the middle of the new one. "You know could be killed for having this, don't you?" He said, giving him a concerned look.

He shrugged. "I couldn't just leave them when I- left home. I spent too much time on them. Besides, you're the only other one that knows about them now."

Shouto didn't say anything else, so he kept talking clearly excited to share all the things he had learned. Shouto wanted to listen, he really did, but his eyes slowly looked back at the book, the words peeking out between his white fingers and he stiffened.

_transmutations of runes carvings _

_rituals _

_ scarring _

His left hand was pressed to the page, shaking from the burns under his skin. The smell of burnt flesh was so strong, it was all he could sense.

"Izuku." He breathed, no louder than whisper. Weak, for letting it affect him. Shouldn't he be over it by now?

Screams echoed in his head. Not all of them belonged to him, but they stayed with him anyway. A companion in his twisted memories.

"Shouto?" Izuku asked in confusion. Then his tone got even softer. "Is something wrong?"

The prince swallowed, his throat burning. He forced himself to meet those concerned, gentle eyes.

"What if I told you another secret?"

"Okay." Izuku tilted his head, smiling reassuringly. "I won't tell anyone."

Shouto closed his hand, tugging it to his chest. He was still shaking for some stupid reason.

Weak. He was _weak_.

It took him a long time to get the courage to undo the buttons of his shirt, sliding one sleeve off his shoulder. The frost in the air bit at his skin, the chill finding it's home among the charred symbols.

"What-" He heard the sharp inhale from Izuku. The disbelief coloring his face forced the prince to look anywhere besides him. He chose the abandoned book, then quickly anything besides that as well.

"They are...they're elemental runes?" Izuku asked. He must have looked at Shouto, but the prince stared a hole in the rug instead

"Fire." He clarified.

Suddenly, there was a soft touch on his shoulder. Shouto flinched, pulling away more than he should. It was impossible to miss, so he avoided him further, hugging his arm closer to his chest.

"Shouto." His voice cut through him. It wasn't fair how easily Izuku could see through him, he might as well be a ghost. "Shouto?"

The prince forced himself to look at him. Soft, caring, as always. Izuku was never anything else.

"What happened?"

Shouto sat against the bed, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. His arm was covered again, no longer a victim of prying eyes and the cold, but he still felt on display. He sighed, shutting his eyes, forcing the poison from his mouth.

"My father was born with fire runes. They run in his family, a powerful type of magic. Runes only grow more powerful through the generations, and my father was obsessed with them. He wanted to have the most powerful family, so he forced my mother into an arraigned marriage for her magic. But then he had four children and none of them had inherited his runes." He paused, hesitating.

_Weak_.

"He started experimenting. He carved his runes on our skin himself, using his own power to make them. Only two of us managed to actually learn to use them, my oldest brother and I. The other two he cast aside." The prince rung his fingers, squeezing the memories out.

"That's..." Izuku trailed off with a curse. "I'm sorry, Shouto."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about." He answered, looking back at the florist.

"It still shouldn't have happened. I can't imagine..."

Shouto shrugged. "I have ice runes too. Those are from my mother, and I was born with them. I think that made him even more furious, we all got her magic instead of his."

"On this side?" Izuku asked, taking his right hand gently. Shouto nodded, a knot in his throat. He turned his hand over in his, summoning frost. It twisted in his palm, spreading over the tips of his fingers.

He felt Izuku shiver. "Sorry." He was about to pull away when Izuku's other hand covered his and he shook his head.

"No. Thank you for telling me. I'm sure it was hard to talk about."

"It was years ago." He should be over it. He shouldn't care.

"Still." Izuku gave him a soft smile, the corners of eyes crinkling. He squeezed his hand. "I won't tell anyone."

"I know, I trust you."


	5. allwedoisthinkaboutthefeelingswehide

**This week's song title isn't Oh Wonder :0, it's actually from Halsey song. **

**So, uh, my school cancelled classes for a month because of the coronavirus. That's just wild to me, but I guess it gives me some time to write? It's a very strange world we're living in right now. **

The maid didn't speak as she braided his hair. She was stiff, careful, skillful. Impersonal. She was here to do her job and nothing else. She knew better. He sympathized with her.

Shouto didn't say anything in return, staring down at his hands to avoid his reflection and the woman behind him. They were red from the chill in the air.

He could still remember the feeling of Izuku's hands on his. How gently he had touched him after Shouto had been so stupid.

He shouldn't have told him. He should know better.

He dug his fingernails in his palms.

"Your Highness?" Shouto looked up slowly at the question, meeting the woman's gaze in the mirror. "Is this alright?"

The prince tore his eyes from her, feeling mechanical gazing at his own reflection. His hair was pinned back in a braided bun, bangs falling in his face. The scar tore across his face, interrupted the snow-colored skin with a charred red. His uniform was red with black accents, little coal buttons and charcoal lines.

"Yes." He answered, staring into his own eyes. "Thank you." He added at the end. He always tried to thank them, he knew no one else did.

"Your crown?" She asked, gesturing to the table in front of him. The prince looked down at the offender.

Black, gunmetal spirals rose from the frame. Rubies and scarlet diamonds were encrusted in the metal. A crown made of thorns.

Shouto hated it with a passion, but swallowed his thoughts and nodded. He had to wear it for these sorts of events, a stupid formality.

The maid reached forward, taking it and setting it atop his hair. She took out more pins, stabbing each one into his hair to keep it in place. She was trying to be gentle, but each one just felt like another push toward his demise.

She nodded, backing away from his chair and bowing. Her crimson skirt curled around her legs. "Have a nice party, my prince." She said, standing straight and disappearing out the door.

How ironic, Shouto mused, leaning back with a sigh. He stared up at his bedroom ceiling, tracing the intricate crown molding with his eyes.

He hated these damn parties.

"Excited?" Touya asked, leaning against the corridor wall and putting wrinkles in his black clothes. It looked like the maids had tried to lighten his scars, but to avail. They were still striking against his brother's light skin.

Fuyumi wore a red, medium-length dress. Her ice runes wrapped around her wrists in pale symbols. She wrung her hands anxiously, giving Shouto a small smile before she looked back to the tall doors where chatter seeped through. Natsuo looked more irritated about the situation than anyone else. He had a strong dislike for formal clothes. His arms were crossed over his chest and he absentmindedly picked at the stitched of one of his dark sleeves.

On each of their heads was a similar crown of dark metal. Each one was of various heights and builds, built by the same designer when each of their births were announced. They were all similar enough to linked them in their blood and status. No mistakes were made about where the four of them belonged.

"Stoked." Shouto answered, pausing in between Natsuo and Fuyumi. "What are we waiting for?"

"The asshole himself." Natsuo answered. "This is his stupid party and he's late."

"Natsuo!" Their sister scolded.

"Yeah!" Touya agreed, causing Fuyumi to raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Don't you know this party is for Shouto?"

The youngest prince rolled his eyes, glancing at the door. The kingdom's crest was engraved offensively in the wood.

He heard the distant sound of women talking. A familiar stiffness made its home under his skin. Shouto found these sort of things the worst, when they had to play the picture perfect family. At larger galas he could at least hide away from his family and disappear in the crowd. Here, however, everything always was perfect and if it wasn't, someone would pay for it later.

The heavy footsteps interrupted whatever his siblings were talking about and silence washed over them. His father appeared in his usual flaming glory. Sentinels followed him, dressed in charcoal black.

He didn't say a word to anyone, but walked past them and paused for them to fall into place and a pair of sentinels to open the doors. Shouto stood on his father's left on the other side of Natsuo. Their faces were stone, misleading. Even Fuyumi's unease had vanished, replaced by something hollow.

"Please rise for the Todoroki Royal Family." Some voice announced from somewhere in the room.

Shouto directed his attention to the ballroom before him. Late morning light filtered through the ceiling tall windows. Scarlet curtains hung at each one and the sparkling chandeliers clinked in tune with the sound of chairs moving and people moving to their feet.

A long table was in the center of the room, Shouto could identify each of the families that stood, linked by appearance and cloth. He had been forced to memorize all the members when he was younger, his duty as their prince. He avoided their eyes, staring at a floor tile instead.

The end of the table was vacant, five spots left empty for them. His father sat at the head and they filled in the rest of the spots. Shouto put his hand on the chair, fingernails digging into the wood.

"Please, sit. I would like to thank you for coming today." His father said, the ghost of a smile on his face.

Fake.

"As many of you know, in less than two months, my youngest son, Shouto, will be picking his fiancée. We're all eagerly looking forward to his choice." The prince felt everyone's eyes assessing him. He had to force a humble smile to his face. Honestly, he felt throwing up. "Today, however, he is still very much available."

There was scattered, polite laughter. That's all he was, a prize. A pawn.

Another step closer to the crown.

"I hope everything else is to everyone's expectations and without further ado, let us eat." The king sat as the servants emerged from the surrounding doors. Soon their plates and glasses were full.

Shouto poked at his food weakly. He didn't have an appetite, not with everyone's attention on him. He didn't dare look up, pretending to be incredibly interested in the food he didn't want. At least here he was still linked to his family, somewhat protected by his older siblings, but once the food was swept away, he'd have no where to run.

The second their plates were collected and the chairs were pushed in, Shouto was surrounded. It wasn't just the girls, but sometimes their parents as well. Mothers were especially pushy, shoving their daughters forward with knowing smiles and fluttering eyelashes.

He liked dinner parties better. At least then he could claim exhaustion and escape to his bedroom without raising too many eyebrows. He couldn't exactly say he was tired at one in the afternoon, even though he most definitely was.

There was an assault of questions. How was the food? How are you? How is your life? He struggled to answer something, just to pretend like he was listening, but he couldn't force the words out.

The prince felt fingertips touch his left wrist and he jerked away from the offender. She was honey colored, looking bashful at being caught. Another girl in purple scoffed on his other side.

Shouto gripped his wrist, the runes nearly searing through his sleeve.

"My apologies, Your Highness. I just thought-" She began, but he shoved past her.

"Excuse me." He gritted, hands clinched as he walked away. Shouto headed toward the balcony, the chill welcoming him. He noticed his father's glare as he walked past him, but the prince ignored him.

He needed air. The pressure was building around him, burning him alive. The crown he wore felt heavy. He wanted to take it off and toss it into the snow below him.

The prince sighed deeply, gripping the railing as he was finally left alone. The balconies were usually open for parties like this, but no one besides him had braved the cold today. Shouto welcomed the isolation, staring out at the frozen city below.

The icy wind tossed his hair, the pieces that escape his bun curling in front of his face. The distant roofs were snow covered, trees bare and frozen. It wasn't snowing, but it must have last night. The prince let go of the railing, relaxing slightly. He couldn't identify Izuku's home from the little white outlines. Shouto absentmindedly wished he was with him instead of here, surrounded by green instead of smoke.

"Your Highness?" Shouto stiffened, disappointed by the interruption. She walked up to him, pausing at the railing at his side. "It's pretty, hm?"

Shouto stole a glance, recognizing her easily. Her family was well known, popular in the court and in the people's eyes. Her black hair was tied back in a ponytail, a few pieces of her bangs falling on one side of her face. Her dress was long-sleeved but low cut and he took note of the dark runes painted across her collarbone. Creation magic.

In her hand she held two glasses and she offered one to him like a peace offering. "It's water. You look like you need something stronger though." He didn't take it.

"I'm fine, Lady Yaoyorozu." The prince said curtly. She tilted her head, but set the other glass aside within his reach and took a sip of hers. Some of her red lipstick colored the edge. He frowned at her. "Do you need something?"

"Is that you asking if I'm going to try flirt with you?" Yaoyorozu hummed. "The answer is no, by the way. I'm not interested in the crown, nor you in that way. No offense."

"Why not?" Shouto asked blatantly. He watched her suspiciously.

The woman gestured behind her where a smaller girl stood by the door. She was dressed in the same colors as the Yaoyorozu family, a personal servant according the uniform. Her dark hair was chopped in a line at her shoulders and there were heavy lines of makeup below her eyes. She smiled at Yaoyorozu thinly, straightening her back.

"I'm already taken." The noble woman answered.

"Oh." Shouto said, blinking at the two of them. Surely something forbidden, but Yaoyorozu seemed shameless. He wondered how much her family knew.

"I was curious about something else, though." She continued. Shouto raised his eyebrows and she lowered her voice even though there was no one else around. "Midoriya's Apothecary. You visit there, often?"

He glanced back to the distant sounds of the party, panicked. "How do you-"

"I saw you." Yaoyorozu cut him off. She tilted back her glass, giving him a small smile. "It's a cute place, right?"

Dread filled the prince. He was too obvious, too stupid.

He didn't know Yaoyorozu and she certainly had no loyalty to him. She wasn't even interested in guilting him into marriage. Shouto counted in his head how many seconds it would take for her to walk up to his father, the words to leave her mouth and the click of her heels on the tile. He wondered how long it'd take him to jump from this balcony.

"What do you want?" He hissed through his teeth. The woman looked surprised from the aggression in his tone.

"Nothing." She argued. "I was jus- oh." Her dark eyes flickered toward the party. "King Enji doesn't know, does he?"

"Surely you're familiar how our kind of families work."

"Your kind." She corrected. "My family doesn't care where I go, nor who I spend my time with." She tilted her head discreetly toward her servant. "Kyoka certainly wouldn't be here if they did."

"How lucky."

"I don't want anything from you." Yaoyorozu sighed. "I only brought it up because you seemed stressed in there and I thought it was something we could talk about that wasn't marriage, since you don't seem too fond of that."

Shouto was still suspicious, but he ignored it for her sincere expression. "It's not that I don't want to get married. I just...don't want to marry any of them."

"Ah." The woman set aside her glass. "I see. Midoriya's very nice, from what I've seen of him."

Shouto felt his face heat, hoping it didn't look like anything more than the cold. From Yaoyorozu's smile, it did. "It's not like that." He mumbled.

"Right." She laughed. "Well, either way, if you ever just want to talk about it not being like that, my family's estate isn't far." She patted his arm, turning back to the open doors. Her shadow, Kyoka, she had said, followed a few steps behind her, but Yaoyorozu easily closed the distance as they rejoined the party.

Shouto stared at her back, disappearing into the party's crowds. He flexed his fingers, looking down to make sure they were still there. He couldn't feel them. His breath clouded his vision, the prince blinked a few times, imaginary snowflakes falling.

It took him too long, he'd get punished later. He was tired of being perfect.

The prince walked back into the party, feeling numb.

He was a ghost among the living.

Everything ached.

Shouto winced as he finally fell into bed, hugging his ribs. He hoped nothing was broken. His father went far, but usually not that far. He had been furious, but Shouto had expected that. Even as he braced through the pain, he couldn't help but feel proud of himself.

No one could piss off his father quite like he could.

The prince breathed slowly, staring up at the ceiling and ignoring the pulsing in his head. The left side of his face hurt more, a bruise forming under his scar. No one would notice the new wound, too distracted by the old offender, the king knew that. Everything else was hidden under his burned clothes. It'd be a waste of cloth if they didn't have the money to spare.

It couldn't be anywhere near time for dinner, but Shouto wanted to sleep. Everything felt hazy, blinking lazily up at the ceiling. The winter sunlight was nauseating.

He wanted to disappear.

There was a hesitant knock at his door. He didn't move. If it was a servant, they'd come back later. They all gossiped about what happened in their family, they knew better than to bother him.

"Shouto?" Not a servant. The prince huffed, then winced. He hoped she didn't hear that. "Can I come in?"

Maybe if he was quiet, she'd leave him alone, too.

She waited a minute, then said in a sterner tone, "Shouto, let me in."

"Please leave me alone."

She knocked again. "Shouto."

Against his better judgement, he grumbled to himself and sat up, pushing himself off his bed and crossing his bedroom to open the door. Shouto leveled his sister with a glare. "I'm fine."

Fuyumi was still dressed in her day gown, a wooden box in her hands. She gave him an unconvinced look. "Let me in."

"There's no need."

Before he could block her, her hand reached up and pressed against his cheekbone. The prince hissed, swatting her hand and backing away. His sister took the opening, pushing the door open wider and welcoming herself inside.

"He always hits you there." She said, tone softer than it was before. "Sorry."

"It's not a big deal." He could deal with it on his own, he was used to it.

"I can still patch you up anyway, since I know you won't let the maids do it." She answered. His sister set the box on his bed beside her and patted for him to sit. "Come on. Take your shirt off."

Shouto stared at her for a moment and the princess stared back. She wasn't as commanding as the rest of them, but she had a regal sort of stubbornness that allowed her to win any argument he had ever had with her. He sighed, eventually bending and shoving off his shirt, gritting his teeth through the pain.

The box was a collection of medical supplies she must have taken from the hospital wing of the castle. Whether she stole it or it was given, he didn't know. He didn't miss her frown when she looked at his burns, but she didn't say anything else, simply digging in the box and pressing her hand to the worst spot across his ribs. Her runes glowed and the air grew colder.

She looked the most like their mother, with ice colored hair and storm colored eyes. She was quiet like Mom, patient like she used to be. She fell into her role easily. When he was younger, he thought it was simply because they looked alike. Now he wondered if she enjoyed caring for them, or if she did it purely because no one else would if she didn't.

"Why did you do that today?" Fuyumi eventually asked, so interesting in the bandage she was wrapping that she didn't meet his eyes. "You knew what would happen."

"I couldn't stand it. I had to get out." He answered truthfully.

She laughed, short and bitter. "Shouto, you're going to go too far someday."

"I don't really care. He won't kill me."

She paused, pushing up her glasses. His burn stung where she touched it and he sucked in a breath. Finally, his sister spoke again. "You don't know that."

"You don't understand what it's like, you can go as you please." Shouto pushed. "It's not the same for you."

"I have an arranged marriage just like you." She argued.

"It's not the same. You're not stuck here."

Fuyumi sighed, staring at her current work.

It wasn't the same. She was engaged to the crown prince of Ingenium, had been since they were teenagers. Their father was wanted his children in as many foreign royalties as he could get and daughters were easier to bargain than sons. He was unlucky in that respect. They would get married when Prince Tensei was frowned king, then she'd have no responsibilities here anymore.

She visited Ingenium sometimes. When she returned home, she always seemed different those first few days when she returned. Like she had tasted a little of the outside world, but had been yanked back into the dark before she could escape. Eventually, she would be free, while Shouto would rot in these walls.

"I don't want anything to happen to you." She said.

"I think that ship has sailed."

"I mean something serious." The princess stated. "You're being reckless, more than usual lately...I just- I don't want- I-I don't want the same thing to happen to you that happened to Mom."

He stiffened, assaulted by the words. No one brought up her anymore, no one dared. Shouto looked at her, surprised to find his sister staring back. She looked concerned, frustrated. She wanted say more, but bit her tongue.

"I can't do this." He said, barely above a whisper. "There has to be some way out, I don't want to spend my entire life like this- feeling like this."

She gave him a strained smile. "If there was a way out, wouldn't one of us would have found it by now? This is simply what we were born into. There's nothing we can do."

**If you like it give me that sweet follow, fave, or comment :)**


End file.
